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Tuesday’s CSExtra features the latest reporting and commentary on global space activities: NASA’s Ares 1 rocket, part of the all but cancelled Constellation Program, could return with a major modification as a commercial launcher called Liberty. The Senate will act today on a measure restricting NASA’s traditional aeronautics research and development. Would NASA benefit from a more strategic merger of exploration and science objectives? The Feb. 4 decision by NASA and veteran astronaut Mark Kelly to permit Kelly to resume training for a late April shuttle mission has sparked a social debate. Shuttle Discovery, awaiting launch since Nov. 5, is due additional repairs. SETI astronomers tune in the Kepler mission’s recently discovered extrasolar planets. Results of a federal investigation into the runaway Toyota mystery are expected today. NASA’s Stardust spacecraft takes aim at Comet Temple 1. The Pentagon folds space sensors into ground and sea-based missile defense testing.
1. From the New York Times: Alliant Techsystems, of Minneapolis, and Astrium, a division of the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co., are proposing a new commercial version of NASA’s Ares I rocket they call Liberty. Ares 1 was the proposed crew launcher in NASA’s Constellation Program, which has been all but cancelled. The proposal, which will be unveiled today, would couple ATK’s Ares 1 first stage rocket with Astrium’s Ariane 5 first stage into the new two-stage Liberty. The ATK team is seeking sponsorship under NASA’s Commercial Crew Development Program. If developed and launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., Liberty space taxi operations would bring about 300 jobs to Central Florida.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/business/global/08rocket.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=NASA&st=cse
A. From the Wall Street Journal: The Liberty initiative is completing for part of $200 million in NASA development funding for the commercial launching of astronauts as well as scientific payloads.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704422204576130482887509152.html?KEYWORDS=NASA
2. From the Hill: The U.S. Senate is expected to vote today on a measure that would strike language from the Federal Aviation Administration’s authorization bill affecting NASA. The authorization language creates a committee that would study whether NASA should continue the research and development of civilian aircraft. The effort to preserve NASA’s research and development tradition has bi-partisan support.
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/142645-senate-to-take-up-nasa-amendment-tuesday-morning–
3. From The Space Review. In “Merging Human Space Flight and Science at NASA,” contributor Louis Friedman suggests that a strategic merging of the two fields would build new political and financial support for human exploration. He suggests some common themes that not only cement U.S. leadership but provide inspiration to those around the world. They include an increased understanding of the Earth, near Earth objects and humanity’s place in the universe as well the eventual settlement of Mars.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1775/1
4. From the Associated Press via the Los Angeles Times: The decision by NASA and veteran astronaut Mark Kelly on Feb. 4 that Kelly would resume training for a late April shuttle mission has touched off a social debate. Kelly’s wife, Arizona Congressman Gabrielle Giffords, was wounded by a political assassin on Jan. 8. The debate focuses on whether Kelly should re-embrace the spaceflight he was assigned to 18 months ago. Kelly said he would resume training and fly with his wife’s support, though it’s unclear how she expressed her sentiments.
http://www.latimes.com./news/science/wire/sns-ap-us-sci-astronaut-feelings,0,4893881.story
5. From Florida Today: Shuttle Discovery’s long wait to fly began with a Nov. 5 launch scrub caused by a hydrogen leak. Since then, troubleshooters have focused on unrelated repairs to cracks on the shuttle’s external fuel tank. However, NASA said Monday it will put more work into solving the hydrogen leak, with the change out of some internal seals. The latest repairs are not expected to jeopardize current planning for a Feb. 24 launch of Discovery’s 11-day mission.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110208/NEWS02/102080313/Technicians+to+swap+out+Discovery+s+gas+vent+line
6. From Space.com: SETI astronomers have already begun to use the findings from NASA’s Kepler mission to refine their search for radio signals from distant alien civilizations. Last week, the Kepler science team presented evidence for 1,235 new extrasolar planets.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/10774-kepler-planets-alien-search-life-earth.html
7. From the Associated Press via the Washington Post: Tuesday will bring the release of an Obama Administration investigation into the runaway Toyota mystery. NASA was among the federal agencies that provided expertise for the study of whether faulty electronics played a role in several accidents.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/08/AR2011020800540.html
8. From Space.com: NASA’s Stardust-Next mission takes aim at Comet Temple 1. On Feb. 14, Stardust will fly within 124 miles of the comet. Temple 1 was scrutinized by NASA’s Deep Impact probe in July 2005
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/10786-stardust-comet-tempel1-valentines-day.html
9. The U.S. Missile Defense Agency plans to combine the Pentagon’s $1.7 billion Space Tracking & Surveillance System with ground and sea-based interceptor tests. The initiative is intended to bolster defenses again hostile missiles.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110208/NEWS02/102080313/Technicians+to+swap+out+Discovery+s+gas+vent+line
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